Trip mechanism



April 5, 1949. 2,466,583

TRIP MECHANISM Filed May a, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR- BY I #0ATTORNEY Apri! 5, i949. E. J. DILLMAN 2,466,583

' TRIP MECHANISM I Filed May 3, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

M ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 5, 1949 TRIP MECHANISM Earnest J. Dillman,Detroit, Mich., assignor to Detroit Lubricator Company, Detroit, Mich.,a

corporation of Michigan Application May 3, 1945, Serial No. 591,737

11 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for controlling the flow of fluids andmore particularly to operating means for a valve and a damper forcontrolling respectively the supplies of gaseous fuel and combustion airto a burner.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel valv operating means ofcompact construction.

'Another object is to provide means by which the valve is quickly movedto and from its seat when adjacent thereto so as to eliminateflashing-back at the burner.

Another object is to prOVide means by which the damper will be openedprior to opening of the valve.

The invention consists in the novel arrangement and cooperative relationof parts to be more fully described hereinafter and the novelty of whichwill be distinctly pointed out and particularly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, to be taken as a part of thisspecification, there is fully and clearly illustrated a preferredembodiment of the invention, in which drawings,

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of the valve and damper operatingmeans mounted on the valve casing and with the front housing wall brokenaway to show internal construction,

Fig. 2 is a view in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a view in section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a detail view in front elevation of the operating meansshowing it in valve opening position.

Referring to the drawings. by characters of reference I designatesgenerally a valve casing having a passageway therethrough for flow of agaseous fuel to a burner, not shown, and containing a valve port 2 whichis controlled by a valve member 3. The casing I has .a bonnet 4 which isapertured for passage of the valve stem 5 therethrough. A diaphragm 6 issealed at its periphery in the bonnet 4 and surrounds and is sealed tothe stem 5'to close the stem aperture from the casing I. The stem 5extends out of the casing l and into a housing 1 which is mounted on thebonnet 4. The housing 1 has a bottom wall 8 secured to the bonnet 4 .byscrews 9 and Ill. Rising from the ends of the bottom wall 8 there areend walls I I, I2, which receive an inverted U-shaped cover member l3forming the front, rear and top walls of the housing. Extending upwardinto the housing 1 from the bonnet 4 there is a supporting structure l4formed by side posts l5 and a top bridge piece [6 having an aperturetherethrough through which'the stem 5 is guided at its upper end.Surrounding the stem 5 there is a cylindrical permanent magnet l1 havinga longitudinal aperture therethrough in which the stem v5 passes freely.The magnet I1 is adjustably mounted on the supporting structure l4between the posts l5. Fixed on the stem 5 there is .a collar I 8 havingan upper flange l9 and a lower flange 20 which is an armature cooperablewith the magnet I1.

Extending between the flanges l9 and 20 there is one end 2| of the lowerarm 22 of a leaf spring 23 which is bent intermediate its ends about asupporting rod 24 such that the upper spring arm 25 overlies the arm 22providing in side elevation a generally U-shaped or hair pin typespring. The free end 26 of the upper arm 25,

is supported by a screw abutment member 21 which is adjustably screwthreaded as at 28 in a horizontal extension 29 projecting from thebridge portion IS. The spring 23 in plan view is also of U-shaped formhaving lower and upper arms 22, 25 respectively spaced horizontally fromthe arms 22, 25 respectively. The upper arms 25, 25 are joined by theend portion 26. The lower arm end portion 2| joins the lower arms 22, 22The arms 22, 25 are supported at their juncture with each other by ahorizontal rod 30. The rods 24 and 30 are supported by brackets 3|, 32respectively which are secured to the inside face of the end wall I2 asby rivets.

33 for example. Riveted to the lower arms 22, 22 adjacent the rods 24and 30 there are downward extending lever arms 34, 35 respectively whichterminate adjacent the bottom .wall 8. Extending laterally from thelower free ends of the arms 34 and 35 there are cam followers 36, 31respectively formed by stub shafts secured to the arms and each carryinga cam roller. Abutting the cam followers 36, 31 are the end faces 38 ofa pair of lever arms 39, 40 joined by a cross member M of a generallyH-shaped lever 42, see Fig. 3. A shaft 43 extends through alinedopenings in the lever arms 39, 40 to pivotally support the lever 42. Theends of the shaft 43 are supported in ears or flanges 44 turned up fromthe side edges of a supporting plate 45 which is secured to the top faceof the bottom wall 8 by the screw l0 and screws 46 which also secure thewall 8 to the bonnet 4 and the bonnet 4 to the lower part of the casingI. The shaft 43 extends transverse to the valve stem 5 and underlies thespring supporting member 21. Th lever arms 39 and 40 have inclined camfaces 41 which lead to the end faces 38 and which are upwardly inclinedtoward the end wall l2. The lever arms 39 and 40 are limited in downwardmovement by a stop flange 48 turned up from the plate 45. The flange 48stops the clockwise rotation of the lever 42 in a position with thelever end faces 38 in the path of movement of and in abutting engagementwith the cam followers 36, 31 so that the arms 34, 35 are locked againstmovement away from the wall I2. The end faces 38 are preferably arcsstruck from the center of the shaft 43 so that the arms 34, 35 are heldstationary until the lever 42 has been rocked or rotatedcounterclockwise sufficiently to bring the followers 36, 31 againsttheir respective cam faces 41. The lever 42 is held against the stopflange 48 by a pair of helical coil springs 49 and 50. The spring 49 hasone end anchored as at in an aperture through the lever arm 39 above theshaft 43 and has its other end anchored to a head pin 52 secured throughan aperture in the end wall 12. The spring 50 has one end anchored as at53 in an aperture through the lever arm 40 above the shaft 43 and hasits other end anchored to a head pin 54 secured in an aperture throughthe end wall l2. The springs 49 and 50 extend substantially horizontallyand are under tension to hold the lever 42 resiliently against the stopflange 48. Extending from the arm 39 there is a damper operating arm 55which is offset as at 56 from the arm 39.so as to pass through anaperture 51 in the front wall of the cover member l3. The arm 55 isconnected in any suitable manner by linkage 58 to an air damper 59controlling flow of combustion air through a duct 60 connected to thefuel burner as is well understood in the art.

Secured in and through an aperture in the end wall I2 there is a heatmotor power element 6|) having a cup-shaped casing 6| cooperable with a.pressure operated bellows member 62 to form a pressure chamber 63.Sealed through the end wall of the casing 6| and communicating with thechamber 63 there is one end of a capillary tube 64 which has its otherend connected to a boiler or bulb element 85 which is verticallypositioned and has at its upper end a surrounding electric heatin coil66. The terminals of the coil 66 are connected by lead wires 61, 68 to asource of a current supply. Current flow to the coil 66 is controlled bya switch 69 which may be positioned in the wire 61 and bethermostatically actuated in response to temperature created by theburner. The chamber 63, tube 64 and bulb element 65 are filled with avolatile liquid such that when the coil 66 is energized to heat the bulbelement 65, liquid will be forced into the chamber 63 thereby moving theresponsive member 62 outward. Interconnecting the member 62 and thelever 42 there is a thrust member which is a helical coil spring seatingat its opposite ends against flange abutments on the end portions 1|, 12of a longitudinally collapsible guide rod which extends longitudinallythrough the spring 18. The end portion 12 is secured in abuttingengagement with the head or end wall of the pressure responsive member62. The portion 1| has a conical end 13 which seats in a conical recess14 formed in the lever cross member 4| substantially in the plane of thesprings 49, 58 and above the shaft 43.

The operation is as follows: When the heating coil 66 is deenergized andthe parts are in the positions shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the leafspring 23 will have its upper arms 25, flexed conveirly downward andunder tension between the supporting members 24 and 39 at one end of theupper arms and the supporting member 21 at the other end of these arms.The lower arms 22, 22 will be flexed downward away from their upper armsand be tensioned between the arms 34, 35 and the adjacent supportingmembers 24, 30 respectively by the longitudinal rocking or swinging ofthe arms 34, 35 by the lever 42. The free end portions of the lower arms22, 22 are flexed downward by the magnetic force of the magnet l1 actingon the armature 20. The spring 23 is therefore held under tension withsufii'cient force stored in the upper arms 25, 25 to lift the free end2| against the force of the magnet l1 and to lift the valve member 3 toopen position against the force of gravity which biases it to closedposition. When the switch 69 is closed, the coil 56 will heat the liquidin the bulb element 65 and drive the liquid therefrom into the powerelement chamber 63. This will move the responsive member 62 outward andthe thrust member 10 acting through its end portion 13 will rotate thelever 42 counterclockwise facing Fig. l and against the force of thesprings 49 and 50. The lever 42 will hold the arms 34 and 35 againstrocking movement away from the wall |2 under the force of the tensionupper spring arms 25, 25 until the end faces 38 are lifted above or outof the path of movement of the followers 36, 31. During this movement ofthe lever 42, the damper arm 55 will have been swung downward therebymoving the air inlet damper 59 to an open position sufficient to supplythe necessary air for the initial quick opening movement of the valvemem- As the followers 36, 31 ride onto the cam faces 41, the forcestored in the upper spring arms 25, 25 will be transferred to the lowerspring arms 22, 22 tensioning the free end portion 2| upward against theflange l9. As soon as the lifting movement of the lever cam faces 41 haspermitted a suflicient transfer of force from the upper spring arms tothe lower spring arms to overcome the force of the magnet |'1, then theforce transferred to the lower spring arms will snap the valve stem 5upward and open the valve member 3 to its minimum desired flow positionso that gaseous fuel will be supplied through the port 2 to the burner.Rotation of the lever 42 under the force of the power element 68 iscontinuing so that the cam faces 41 are continuing their upward movementwhich permits the followers 36 and 31 to rock further away from the wall|2 with consequent further transfer of force from the upper spring armsto the lower spring arms thereby continuing the opening movement of thevalve member 3. This rotation of the lever 42 will continue until theunder side of the lever arm 39 adjacent the offset 56 engages the plate45 as at 80. The power element spring 18 provides for lost motion whenthe lever 42 has been stopped in its valve opening movement in the eventthere is further expansion of the chamber 63.

When the switch 69 is opened to deenergize the coil 66, the bulb element65 will cool thereby permitting the springs 49 and 58 to rotate thelever 42 clockwise from its position of Fig. 4 toward the position ofFig. 1. As the arms 39 and 46 move downward, the cam faces 41 will forcetheir respective followers 36, 31 toward the end wall I2 thereby rockinthe lever arms 34, 35 in a counterclockwise direction. This swinging orrocking of the arms 34, as will pull the free end 2| of the leaf spring23 downward and will simultaneously flex the upper spring arms 25, 25convexly downward tensioning the upper arms downward against thesupporting members 21 and 24, '30 Downward movement of the spring end.2! will permit the valve member 3 to move downward by gravity. It may bewell to note that if the valve member 3 should stick in open positionthatthe down turned spring end 81 willengage the armature flange andforce the valve member toward closed position. Whenthe cam faces 41 haveforced thefollowers 35,31 substantially out of the path of downwardmovement of the lever 42, that-is, substantially to a position where thelever end faces 38 will ride downward on the followers 36, 31, thearmature 20 will have been permitted to come sufficiently close to-themagnet I1 so that the magnetic force will overcome the resiliency of thelower spring'arms 22, 22 and snap or quickly move the valve stem 5downwardand the valve member 3 to fuil closed position. Bur-- mg thisvalve closing movement the damper arm 55 will be moving upward therebymoving the damper 59 toward closed position. When the valve member "3 issnapped to full closed position the damper 59 will still be somewhatopen and therefore continued movement of the damper arm 55 is requiredin order to close the damper. After thevalve member}; is closed thesprings 49 and 50 will continue the clockwise rotation of the lever 42ifoncing the followers-36 and 37 oil the ends of the faces 41 and out ofthe path of movement of the lever 42 so that the continued levermovement into engagement with the stop flange 48 merely causes the leverendfaces 38 to ride downward on the followers '36, '37 without impartingadditional rocking movement of the lever arms 34, 35 toward the wall I2.

What is claimed and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. In a control device, a member normally biased in one direction andhaving a stem, a leaf spring engaging said stem and holding said memberagainst movement in said one direction, an arm secured to said springand having a lateral flange, and a lever having a cam portionengage'ablewith said flange and operable torock said arm longitudinallyof said spring thereby to flex said spring for movement of said memberin said 'one direction, said lever having an end 'face portion leadingfrom said cam portion and engageable with said flange upon movement ofsaid flange beyond said cam portion, said end face portion beingcontoured to provide lost motion or said lever relative to said arm andto 'hold said arm substantially in stationary position.

2. In a control device, a reciprocal member normally biased in onedirection and having a stem, spaced supporting members, a leaf springhaving a bridging portion extending between said'support'ing members andhaving an end'p'ortion extending into operative engagement with saidstem, an arm extending from said spring end portion and operable (inrocking movement to hex said end portion relative to said bridgingportion so thatsaid end portion is moved for movement "of saidreciprocal member, a lever engaging said arm, a spring acting throughsaid lever and operable to move said lever to rocksaid arm, and a powerelement acting on said lever and operable to move said lever against theforce o'fsaid last-named spring.

'3. In a control device, a reciprocal member normally biased in onedirection, spaced supporting members, a leaf spring having a bridgingportion extending between said supporting members and having an endportion extending into operative engagement with said reciprocalmembeigan arm extending from said spring and operable on rockingmovement to flex said bridging portion so that said end portion is movedfor movement of said reciprocal member, a lever en gaging said arm, ,aspring acting through said lever and operable to movesaid lever to rocksaid 1 arm, and :a power element acting on said lever,

and lower arms, atsupporting member for the free end of. said upper arm,said lower arm'extending into operative engagement with said stem formoving said reciprocal member to anotherposition, a lever arm extendingdownward from and secured to said lower spring arm ad'- J'acent saidrod, said lever arm having its free end :swingable longitudinally ofsaid spring and toward said rod to tension said upper spring arm and toflex said lower-spring arm downward for movement of said reciprocalmember toward said one position, an armature on said stem, a magnetcooperablewith said armature and tending to hold said reciprocal memberin said oneposition, said magnet flexing said lower spring arm downwardupon downward movement of said lower spring-arm bysaid lever arm therebyto quickly move said reciprocal member to said, one position, means toswing said lever arm free end toward said rod, and means to overcomesaid last-named means so that the tension of said upper spring armwillmove said reciprocal mem her to said 'otherposition.

:5. In a control "device, a reciprocal member biased to one position andhaving a stem, a supporting rod transverse to said stem, a U-shapedleaf'spring bent about said rod and having upper and lower arms, asupporting member for the free end of said upper arm, said lower armextending into operative engagement with said stem for moving saidreciprocal member to an-- other position, alever arm extending downwardfrom and secured to said lower spring arm adjacent said rod, said leverarm having its free end swingable longitudinally of said spring andtoward said rod to tension said upper spring arm and to flex said lower.spring arm downward for movement of said reciprocal member toward saidone position, an armature on said stem, a magnet c'ooperable with saidarmature and tending to hold said reciprocal member in said oneposition, said magnet flexing said lower spring arm down-- ward, upondownward movement of said lower spring arm by said-lever arm thereby toquickly move 'said reciprocal member to said other position, saidleverqarm free end having a cam follower, a lever having an end face andhavinga cam face leading to said end face, said faces being sequentiallyengageable with said follower, means to rotate said lever to press saidcam face against said follower to swing saidlever arm free end towardsaid and and to continue the rotation of saidlever to move said :camfacexoff said :follower and said end face into abutting engagement withsaid follower, and means to overcome said last-named means so that thetension of said upper spring arm will move said reciproca1memher to saidother position. 1

6. In a control device, a reciprocal member biased in one direction andhaving a stem, spaced abutment members, a leaf spring supported by saidmembers and having a spring portion extending therebetween and an endportion engaging said stem, an arm secured to said end portion androckable to tension said spring portion and move said end portion, alever having end engagement with said arm to hold said arm in a rockedposition and said spring portion under tension, said lever having anedge portion engageable with said arm to control the movement of saidspring end portion by the tensioned spring portion, a spring acting onsaidlever to hold said lever in said end engagement with said arm, and apower element operable to move said lever against the force of saidlast-named spring and into said edge portion engagement with said arm sothat said spring end portion moves said reciprocal member. I

7. In a control device, a reciprocal member normally biased in onedirection and having a stem, a shaft extending transverse to said stem,a lever pivoted on said shaft, a stop member engaged by said lever, aspring tending to hold said lever against said stop member, a powerelement acting on said lever and operable to overcome said spring andmove said lever, a leaf spring having a fixed end portion and a free endportion, means supporting said fixed end portion against movementrelative to said reciprocal member, said free end portion beingtensioned against said stem to move said reciprocal member in theopposite direction, and an arm rigidly secured to the free end portionof said leaf spring and engaging said lever in a rocked position to holdsaid leaf spring under tension and to prevent release of force by saidleaf spring, movement of said lever by said power element permittingsaid arm to mov to release the tensioned force of said leaf spring andthereby causing said leaf spring to move said reciprocal member.

8. A control device comprising a housing having an end wall, areciprocal member extending from said housing, a shaft supported in saidhousing and extending transverse to said member, a lever pivoted on saidshaft and having one end. extending toward said wall, a bellows typeheat motor having a casing extending through and supported in said wall,said motor having a thrust member engaging said lever, a supporting rodsecured to said wall within said housing, a leaf spring bent around saidrod and having one end engaging and operable to move said reciprocalmember, a supporting member for the other end of said spring, an armsecured to said spring and having its free end movable toward said wallto tension said spring, a cam follower extending laterally from the freeend of said arm, said lever having a cam portion engageable with saidfollower to rock said arm, and a spring having one end secured to saidwall and acting at its other end on said lever in opposition to saidthrust member.

9. In a control device, a longitudinally movable member, guide means forsaid member, means biasing said member in one direction, a leaf springengaging said member and operable to hold the same against movement insaid one direction, means supporting one portion of said means, an armrigidly secured to said spring and,

operable upon rocking movement to flex said spring in said onedirection, said spring being.

operable upon release of its flexing force to move said member in theopposite direction, a lever engageable with and operable to rock saidarm and operable to hold said spring against release of its flexingforce in said opposite direction, said lever being operable to havemovement relative to said arm, and said lever being operable upon saidrelative movement to permit movement of said arm to release the flexingforce of said spring to move said member in the opposite direction.

10. In a control device, a longitudinally movable member, guide meansfor said member, means biasing said member in one direction, a leafspring engaging said member and operable to hold the same againstmovement in said one direction, means supporting one portion of saidspring against movement relative to said guide means, an arm rigidlysecured to said spring and having a lateral flange, said arm beingoperable upon rocking movement to flex said spring in said onedirection, said spring being operable upon release of its flexing forceto move said member in the opposite direction, a lever having a camportion engageable with said flange and operable to rock said arm andoperable to hold said spring against release of its flexing force insaid opposite direction, said lever being operable to have movementrelative to said arm, and said lever being operable upon said relativemovement to permit movement of said arm to release the flexing force ofsaid spring to move said member in the opposite direction.

.11. In a control device, a longitudinally movable member having a rangeof movement, means to move said member through one end portion of saidrange, a hairpin shaped leaf spring having one end portion fixed and theother end portion free and having the reverse bend portion pivotallyfixed, said free end portion being engageable with said member, saidspring being the sole means for moving said member through anotherportion of its range of movement, an arm rigidly secured to andextending from said spring, and means laterally engageable with said armto rock the same to flex said spring.

EARNEST J. DILLMAN.

REFERENCES CITED ,The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 389,151 Hogan Sept. 4, 18881,088,302 Scudder Feb. 24, 1914 1,259,520 Jenkins Mar. 19, 19181,325,478 Krebs Dec. 16, 1919 1,611,398 Wiggins Dec. 21, 1926 1,643,858Sauvage Sept. 27, 1927' 1,699,792 Larsh Jan. 22, 1929. 1,784,125 WilsonDec, 9, 1930 1,875,511 Shivers Sept. 6, 1932 2,156,496 Handwerk May 2,1939 2,227,447 Fisher Jan. 7, 1941 2,331,779 I-Ijarpe Oct. 12, 19432,361,202 Hodgkins Oct. 24, 1944 2,409,112 Dillman Oct. 8, 1946

